Every album constitutes a herculean undertaking by all the parties involved, from the amount of decisions to be made, the various directions the production and arrangement can go, let alone writing and selecting the right songs, finding the right players and studio, and then trying to hunt down a label that’s willing to release it. But the road to Hayes Carll’s Lovers and Leavers—his first record in over five years—feels especially long and winding.

Previously signed to Lost Highway Records—the “alternative” imprint of Universal Music Group Nashville—Hayes Carll was one of the most promising up-and-coming songwriters in all of American music in the mid oughts. His album Trouble in Mind in 2008 had people drawing comparisons to Townes Van Zandt and Jerry Jeff Walker, and had Hayes winning awards from the Americana Music Association and others. At the same time Carll was also cataloged as Texas country by some thanks to his roots in the Houston suburb of the Woodlands. Off the strength of his songs, Hayes could be all things to all roots music people, and be claimed by a few different tribes. He was folk, he was roots rock, and he was country. And Hayes had a swaying, reckless, booze-stained way of writing that was well beyond his years, and something missing in the polish of the mainstream, or the more refined material of Americana.

Then on his 2011 album KMAG YOYO, maybe the wheels began to wobble a little too much. The album was still well received, yet the reckless abandon felt more like what happens when an artist starts to become a caricature of themselves as opposed to the authentic extension of their personality exposed through songwriting. Carll had perfected this drunken, hiccuppy singing style that seemed more show, and his choice to write the music to the album and then match up words to it seemed all backwards from an acclaimed songwriter. Hayes had become an artist of ironic sweaters and campy lyrics. The wit was still there, but the graceful moments of depth in depression and songwriting seemed fleeting.

None of this stopped KMAG YOYO from becoming Carll’s best-selling album to date or receiving praise, but it also planted the seeds to what would become his longest drought of productivity in the studio, along with the natural introspection and lifestyle changes that accompany an individual heading towards 40. He had a divorce in his past, a son starting to get older, and began dating Steve Earle’s ex Allison Moorer. Perhaps life got in the way of music for a little while. And the idea of portraying the stumbling, tragic drunk slowly seeped out of Carll’s blood.

The first announcement that Hayes Carll had signed to Thirty Tigers happened nearly two years ago. This in itself was welcome news to fans who already felt the time had come for a new Hayes Carll music. But another year went by, and still no album, and you started to get the sense that perhaps Carll was getting into his own head a little bit and overthinking it, sort of like the same state of mind some surmise Jamey Johnson may be suffering from at the moment, where you get out of your groove and stay out of it so long you start doubting yourself, or lose touch with your sound. Hayes Carll’s abilities as a songwriter had already been tested and proven, he just needed to believe in himself again, get in the studio, and bang it out.

In these cases, perhaps one of the best ways to get back in the groove is to just strip it all down to the song, so you don’t have to sweat about what the lead guitar is going to sound like, or if that drum fill is too much between the chorus and the bridge. And that’s what you get with Lovers and Leavers. If the comparisons to Townes Van Zandt hold any water, then stripping back Carll’s sound would be not just the safest, but probably the most effective way to present his new material to the world.

Lovers and Leavers finds Hayes less in the character of some self-loathing drunk and disorderly, and more in the pattern of self-reflection and the introspective songwriting of a seasoned writer who can take simple observations and turn them into poetry. “Stripped-down” is not just an adjective in this case, these songs are nearly butt naked. A little bit of percussion and bass, maybe some lead parts sprinkled here and there, and a few louder songs. But overall this is a minimalist effort, and there’s nothing keeping you from reflecting on the words to Carll’s songs.

Instead of foggy recollections of wild rendezvous, or declaring fait accompli to personal failings, Hayes Carll is singing about looking for true love, about giving up bad habits you never though you would, and a song called “Magic Kid” about his now 12-year-old son. So many times in music, especially with songwriters, they get the idea they must suffer to create great art, like Van Gogh cutting off his ear, or Van Zandt and Hank Williams dying tragically on New Years. But the best songwriters can find their feet no matter what their state of sobriety, and some thrive in the clear-eyed environment.

Lovers and Leavers is not a “coming clean” record, but it is certainly Hayes maturing into a seasoned songwriter. Consider this a folk rock record without the rock, so you have folk rock songs, but without the heavy sound. It’s country in cousin form, though there is a decidedly Western song with steel guitar called “My Friends” that once again touches on the theme of growing up, but in a world where your old running buddies don’t want you to. Sound wise, Lovers and Leavers could be accused of being almost a little too light and stripped down for ten songs, where some will find their attention failing. One or two old school Hayes Carll rockers may have helped keep the pulse beating a little bit better, but it also may have disrupted the mood and theme this record looks to capture.

Just like leaving your drinking buddies behind, it’s not always the most popular decision, but for Hayes and his music, it was the right one. Only one song will truly remind you of old Hayes—“Love Is So Easy.” Otherwise, it’s a new day. But six years have passed, and six important ones. Humans either spend their lives being stuck in “glory days” mode never evolving beyond their high school or college selves, or they’re in a constant cycle of improvement, no matter where the baseline starts. Though the former can be quite fun, it can leave the spirit unfulfilled. Hayes has moved on, and so has his music. And the true friends are the ones who don’t resent you for maturing or try to enable your backsliding tendencies, but take that journey forward with you.

41 Comments

I plan on reviewing every album that is released in the greater country and roots realm. Whether I can find the time, words, inspiration, or energy is always the big question. I review as many albums as I can.

I always appreciate suggestions and comments of what people are listening to, what appeals to them, and what they would like to see reviewed. Ultimately though, I’ve got to be able to find the words to make a review happen, and sometimes that takes time, and sometimes it doesn’t happen at all, even if you may really like an album, or it is otherwise important. There’s nothing I take more seriously than writing reviews, and it can be a very tedious and frustrating process that takes hours and hours just for one review.

Not at all Mike. It frustrates me that I can’t cover more music, or be as timely in my reviews as I would like. That said, I posted more album reviews in the last 2 years than any other major country music periodical, and as a one man operation. One of the reasons I try and write so many reviews is because as a fan, it’s frustrating to see true objective review material pretty much fading away. I do what I can, but it’s frustrating to always feel like it’s never enough.

why don’t you toot your own horn? Jk, you’re the man Trig. No doubt, I love all of the album reviews, a lot of the albums I’m fully aware of for months until you review them and then I’m like hey Trig said so I guess I’ll go buy it haha

Maybe it’s just me, and maybe it just takes a few listens on this one, but something just felt lacking on this album. I remember you once said something along the lines of Jamey Johnson being “boring” (forgive me for paraphrasing) and I think I kind of feel that way about this record. You’re right though, the stripped down sound definitely draws the listener to the lyrics. My only problem is the lyrics just don’t seem all that special. Eapecially when there is barely any vocal melody paired with any of them.
I think that’s what separate guys like Townes from the pack, they could out pen to paper and write something genius, but they could still attach it to a good melody. I mean, if I wanted to listen to someone read a poem, than I’d put on a poet.
In my opinion this seems to be a growing “problem” in Americana music. It seems that a multitude of artista have this mindset of “well if I slow it down, and strip it down everyone will take It seriously” which is all well and good if You are starting with a good song.
It seems to me that Hayes is shaking off the rust a bit here, hopefully the next one is better.

”In my opinion this seems to be a growing “problem” in Americana music. It seems that a multitude of artista have this mindset of “well if I slow it down, and strip it down everyone will take It seriously” which is all well and good if You are starting with a good song.”

Good observation …and valid , I think Grant . In my opinion , melody seems to be the most overlooked ingredient in contemporary songwriting regardless of genre …although I’d give pop music the edge in that respect .

I liked HC’s approach to writing and recording in the past . Having listened to only one track from this latest ( the one posted here by Trigger ) my only concern is that I seem to be working too hard to hear the all-important lyric . I say that having spent the past couple of days immersing myself in Merle where finding and understanding the lyric was NEVER an issue . The excellent accompaniment , thanks to the players and producer , always knew its place …a supportive role . Again , I’m only listening to the song posted here which seems to leave the vocal buried compared to HC’s last record .I know that most recent recordings seem to suffer from the ‘ compression wars ” launched in the ‘oughts’ or earlier . I just feel that a singer/songwriter should not have to compete in the same way sonically as folks screaming to be heard in a mainstream radio setting . What I get from the lyric seems to indicate that HC ‘s writing is as good as ever . I’m happy for that ….and for him . Hopefully the rest of the record is more accessible in terms of vocals/production .

Well, i’m halfway through this but I’m really enjoying it so far. I hadn’t bothered to listen to any of the songs beforehand so I didn’t know what to expect. I’m glad Hayes stripped it down for this. IMO, this is way better than most of KMAG YOYO.

On a related note, I’m glad you reviewed this today, so thanks Trigger. With the hype surrounding Sturgill’s latest album I was afraid this would get lost in the shuffle for some people.

I’m excited to dig into this album further this weekend. I really like what I have heard so far, namely “Drive” and “Good While It Lasted”.

Your review is spot-on here Trigger, especially your summary of Hayes Carll’s creative burnout that culminated with KMAGYOYO being so utterly mediocre. Glad to see him take the time to reset, refocus and re-energize creatively.

I really want to love it but I just can’t. Seems like Sturgill just loaded it with too much in terms of the sound and the production. It’s pretty Motown-y and you can bet a lot of the songs have horns. That’s not why I don’t love it but I’m just saying. To be honest, “Brace For Impact” is an outlier on the album with its rock sound. It’s good, but I don’t love it like I did his first 2.

I feel the same way. I was so excited about “A Sailor’s Guide To Earth”…..but not anymore. I am not saying it is not good music, but there are only about 3 songs I could get into. It is not the kind of music I am going to blare out my Jeep speakers while cruising the backroads. I cannot do the horns and the motown vibe is not my thing.

Yeah, honestly I only listened to it once while I was writing up a report so I wasn’t totally focused on it, but my first thought is it is probably going to be one of the most divisive albums to come out this year. I think people are either going to love it or absolutely hate it, with very little–if any–middle ground.

My concern listening to this album is that some would find it boring. Though I found a lot of value in the songs and the lyrics, I’m not surprised by this reaction, and I would expect others to feel similar.

Looking forward to receiving this one.I’m going to see him in Glasgow later on this month.
Also seeing Richmond Fontaine a few days later on the farewell gigs.Their new album is great you should give it a listen and review Trigger if you find the time.

I’m 3 songs in and INSANELY impressed … but i was a Simon & Garfunkel / Bob Dylan guy way before I knew what country was … so this is straight Parth Cocaine. The Tom Waitsy feel of All for a song was great!

Bought it on the strength of your review. Trig. I’ve enjoyed all of his previous work, but I thought KMAG YOYO was too “rock” for me (which is maybe a weird thing to say for a guy who plays in a post-punk/industrial band). The little bit I’ve heard of this new one is totally doing it for me though.

As usual, Trig, my bank account hates you. And I mean that in the nicest way.

Apologies if this question has already been asked and if you’ve answered it multiple times already, but how many listens through do you give an album before posting a final review? Is it one/two go around and write what hits you and that you think at that exact moment or do you give more than a few listen throughs?

It is different for every record. At the absolute least, I will listen to a record twice through, and even then I will go back and listen to certain songs, or parts of certain songs again. Most of the time I listen much more than that, and it could be 8, 12, 15, or more times before I’m ready to write a review. Even more so, I think certain albums need to be given some time to sink in. Some probably don’t, but many do. So it’s not just how much you listen, but how much time you’ve given to contemplating what the artist is really trying to express, if it’s needed. Sometimes you have to identify as a reviewer when you’re in a certain mood that may make you less receptive to new music. Sometimes you have to put an album on in the car and go for a drive, to test out the mixing and mastering, and to see how well it travels. That speaks nothing of researching the music and the artist, and who they may have collaborated with. Sometimes I go back and listen to previous albums to compare to. And all of this happens before a single word is written about it. So there’s a lot that goes into an album review. Sure, I could listen to it once and give my knee jerk reaction in one paragraph like Rolling Stone does, but I think that diminishes the value of music even more than a negative review. These artists poured their soul into these records (sometimes). The least you can do is give it your undivided attention before sharing your opinion on it.

Being in the right, receptive mood is critical. I missed out on the whole Chris Stapleton thing until just recently. I had tried listening to a couple of his songs while at work, and it just didn’t grab me then. But after listening to the whole album while driving around, I’m now a big fan.

Agreed. I felt the same way with Jason Isbell. It took me a while to get into him as I just wasn’t feeling it on the first few songs I heard. However, after sitting down and really listening to his albums, I’ve come to appreciate just how good he is. (Maybe I need to do the same with Stapleton as I haven’t been able to get into his music yet).

I gotta say I really enjoyed the album through the first listen. I’m a big Hayes fan, so I’ll throw that out there, but I really enjoyed the bare approach to this album. I think the style of this record really suited his voice. Also, I think The Love That We Need might be his best work yet. Sometimes we look around, and realize the world has been moving around us and a lot has changed. It’s time for a slow down. Hayes went from a guy covering I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, to a guy who looked in the mirror and realized he indeed had grown up.

There is quiet and electrifying and quiet and boring. This is boring. I’m only drawn into a couple of the songs. One of the comments here points to a lack of interesting melody or ‘hook’ as the culprit and I agree. Mark Kozelek can whisper an entire song and I find myself humming the tune later in the day. Most of this strkes me as forgettable. Maybe a few more listens will turn me around, but I’ve played it in its entirety three or four times wanting to be inspired and so far, no dice.

It would have been nice to mention that Allison Moorer is a singer-songwriter in her own right, with some good country music in her discography, not just an extension of Earle or Carll. I am not a huge fan of her more recent albums, but she can write and sing. You know, in terms of the whole trying to give women their due in this industry.

That statement was in no way an attempt to diminish Allison Moorer. I hope we’re not reaching a point where you can’t talk about women anymore without someone saying you’re insulting them. A fellow writer took my Margo Price article a while back to say I want ALL women to have to stand in the back of the line in music. I was also chided by referring to her by her first name (Reba, Dolly, Wynonna, Emmylou anyone?), and then chided from calling her “strong.” It’s starting to get a little bit out of hand as people allow the discourse of the political season to pour over into music. I understand what you’re saying emfrank, but I just don’t think we can assume you’re downgrading an artist just because of how you refer to them. I was one of the few who actually reviewed Allison’s last record:

I didn’t say you were diminishing her, and I know you try to talk about women artists.. I was suggesting this was an opportunity you missed. (And not everything someone says is a personal criticism of you, by the way.)

This is not “out of hand” political correctness and has absolutely nothing to do with the current political season. Being identified as an extension of the men they are involved with is often a problem for women in music. That was my point.

Sorry if it came across like I was jumping down your throat. I’ve become touchy about this subject because there’s quite a few folks right now on the warpath against anyone and everyone they perceive is slighting women in country in one way or another. The marketing of this album includes information about Hayes’ divorce and his relationship with Allison. They performed a duet together on NPR a couple of days ago. It sort of felt like the elephant in the room and so I mentioned it in passing. At the same time I didn’t want to take the focus away from Hayes since it was his review.

I think this album takes a little getting used to if you’re a big fan of his previous efforts, which I am (e.g., I think KMAG YOYO is a blast). I like but don’t quite love it yet. I have a feeling it will continue to grow on me, though.